Former Pitt RB Rushel Shell Made the Right Choice With West Virginia Mountaineers

By Jack Jorgensen

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Okay now I know I’ve said this before, but I swear this time I’m serious. The Rushel Shell drama is finally over.

Yes, I know that I said this before when it seemed as if his heart was dead set on becoming a member of the UCLA Bruins after deciding that he no longer wanted to be the focal point of the Pittsburgh Panthers offense. Oh yeah, and then there was that brief stretch where I also thought the drama was over when he reportedly wanted to return to Pittsburgh before his former head coach Paul Chryst crushed any of those hopes by not letting him back.

Alright, maybe I can see your skepticism.

But in all seriousness, we have finally reached a conclusion to this madness. After weeks of speculation which included visits to each school, Shell has decided that he will continues his athletic career for the West Virginia Mountaineers, choosing them over the up-and-coming Kentucky Wildcats. And I think that, in the end, this really is the perfect fit for both parties involved.

Dana Holgorsen and the Mountaineers have set themselves up at the running back slot for the next few seasons. West Virginia recently landed the services of Houston Cougars star Charles Sims for this season after he shockingly decided to leave the Houston campus for his senior year. Having Shell basically waiting in the wings until he’s eligible to play again in 2014, Sims will be off to the NFL and Holgorsen can instantly insert the versatile back right into that slot.

Shell’s attributes fit the West Virginia offense perfectly. He has a burst once he hits the edge and can catch extremely well out of the backfield, which is vital in the WVU offensive scheme. All decision-making snafus aside, there’s still a lot to come yet from Shell on the field. After splitting significant time last season with Ray Graham at Pitt, when 2014 rolls around it will be Shell’s time to shine in Morgantown.

Now while I’m never an advocate for getting too involved in a collegiate athlete’s personal life, I kind of have to express my opinion in this situation.

Morgantown is also a great fit for family reasons as well. Shell is originally from the Pittsburgh-area, where he is currently raising two infant twin daughters. When he originally made the decision to go out to Los Angeles, I won’t lie, it brought on a set of confusion as to how he could be so far away–especially since he had a lot more offers closer to home.

Shell will now be attending a school which is a mere 75 miles from Pittsburgh, which should work out a lot better as he also entertains his duties as a father.

Nonetheless, the Rushel Shell saga has come to an end.

But after today’s move, if you didn’t miss the Backyard Brawl before, you sure do now. How fun would the 2014 matchup be?